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Greetings from Bedford!

Bedford College is continuing to make an impact in the community and beyond. It was the only English organization short-listed in the prestigious British Quality Foundation Excellence Awards.

At a ceremony which took place at Park Lane, London, Bedford College came away with three reasons to celebrate its new national status.

The college received the coveted Five Star Recognition for Excellence Award, the highest level of award possible.

It was also the only English organization shortlisted for the annual Excellence Award.

In addition the college received a special award for leadership.

The award judges praised the performance of the College over the last decade under the leadership of chief executive Ian Pryce.

Delighted at the college's success Mr Pryce said: "This caps a record year for the college. Record recruitment, success rates, student satisfaction, financial surplus and capital investment.

"The leadership shown by senior staff right across the college has been exceptional and the awards properly recognises the efforts of both our staff and students."

The chief executive was presented with his award by BBC's business correspondent Declan Curry - alongside College Quality Director Tony Sanderson.

Mr Sanderson said: "The Five Star standard is recognises both nationally and throughout Europe and Bedford is the only general FE College in the country to have achieved this and in doing do joins the ranks of R4E holders like TNT International, Rolls-Royce and BMW."

Bedford College is undergoing a £60 Million redevelopment of its main campus in Cauldwell Street.

Springs Sports Centre is open and the South Bank arts centre was officially opened this month. More work is yet to come in 2008.

Bedford College also has centres of learning in Luton, Biggleswade and Rushden - as well as the Skills Banks in Bedford High Street.

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Ten years ago Biddenham Uppper school had falling rolls and was threatened with closure. Then Mike Berrill took over the headship, and today Biddenham Upper School is over-subscribed.

In short, the Inspectors reported:

3a Learners Achievement (Progress)
Main school good
Sixth Form good

3b Learners Standards (Against national averages)
Main school satisfactory
Sixth Form good

4 Learners Personal Development and Wellbeing
Main school good
Sixth Form outstanding

5a Quality of Teaching and Learning
Main school good
Sixth Form good

5b Quality of Curriculum and Other Activities
Main school outstanding
Sixth Form outstanding

5c Quality of Care, Guidance and Support for Learners
Main school good
Sixth Form good

6 Effectiveness of Leadership and Management
Main school good
Sixth Form good

Equal Opportunities
outstanding

7a Overall Effectiveness
good

7b Capacity to make further improvements
good

7c Effectiveness of Sixth Form
good

A remarkable achievement!

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I first saw the Watoto Childrens Choir two or three years ago at Spring Harvest, in Minehead, so when I learned that they were coming to Biddenham I was determined to book a seat. What a colourful and inspirational occasion!

The mission of Watoto is to raise the next generation of Ugandan leaders by placing parentless children in families where the necessary love, care, spiritual discipleship and physical needs are provided. Their goal is to equip these children with the essential moral values and life skills that will enable them to make a significant and lasting impact.

The choir has achieved national recognition, and travels all over the world. If they are in your area, do visit - you can be assure of a real treat!

The English are known for their reserve and, I sense, Bedfordians in particular are not always given to express their feelings, but the audience was so won over by the happy faces of the children and their carers that all joined in on one of the songs, waving their hands, clapping, and cheering.

 

 

Every one of the children are orphans, almost all because of Aids. During the performance each spoke briefly of their circumstances, some adding that thanks to Watoto they have security, love, and encouragement to achieve. So moving were the stories that there were plenty of tears shed by men as well as women.

You might be interested to follow up the organization in case they come to your area. See http://www.watoto.com

 

 

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The move towards Unitary status seems to be proceeding quite happily, despite the apparent lack of cooperation by the County Council which seems to be trying to find every means of delaying progress. One cannot help but have some sympathy for people who seemed confident (over confident) that they were going to win, but this sympathy wanes rapidly when they are putting a spanner in the wheels.

The latest attack by the county council on Bedford Borough’s financial calculation of the benefits unitary status will bring, has brought a contemptuous counterblast from Mayor Frank Branston. 

He said: “These petulant outpourings from the county council shows its lack of understanding of local government finance. It lacks substance and demonstrates its desperation to remain in existence regardless of the cost to local tax payers.” 

“Remember, this is a council that boasts of its ‘success’ when its accounts are not qualified by its auditors. After five years of being qualified it rejoices when it has achieved the minimum standard that any local authority ought to achieve. 

The county council’s record speaks for itself; its performance is below average compared with other county councils; it charges one of the highest council tax rates in the country and has a low value for money rating. The appalling performance of some of its services is intolerable.” 

“It promises all this will change if it becomes a unitary but there is little evidence of this in its current actions. In contrast Bedford Borough Council is an ‘Excellent’ authority, rated as one the top five district authorities in the country for the quality of its services; it provides these services with a lower than average council tax and is highly rated for its financial management.” 

“Bedfordshire County Council’s performance is historically one of the worst in local government. Even the three star performance about which it has rejoiced leaves it in the bottom third of shire authorities.” 

He added: “Before the government opted for a unitary Bedford, the county council said it was more than happy to support unitary plans in whatever format was selected. We even have in writing its offer of support for our plan should we be successful. However, once the decision did not go their way they welched on their commitment.” 

“We put forward a thorough, well planned proposal to create a unitary for Bedford borough. This would mean the end of the county council, reducing duplication and inefficiency, providing greater savings and a clearer focus on Bedford Borough. Our proposals were supported by the government and our figures have been thoroughly checked and backed following two separate independent inspections by respected auditors and financial experts.” 

“We are working with authorities and organisations across the county to introduce the new authority as smoothly and efficiently as possible. I call upon the county council to stop this unedifying abuse, put an end to its judicial review which will cost many times more than the £75,000 it originally predicted, and join us in working for the people we both represent. The judicial review led by Shrewsbury has so far cost £400,000.”

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Talk to some people in Bedford and they moan that its only feature is that it's a good starting off point to interesting places such as Cambridge, Oxford, Milton Keynes, Birmingham and London! Well, that is indeed one feature, but equally many who have lived here speak well of the town and its environs, and those who live elsewhere speak nostalgically about the place. Typical is the kind message from Jill Peavy, now living in the USA, who writes:

I have lived in the USA for a long time, but this time of year I think of Bedford more than ever. Still seems like yesturday-shopping in M&S and Woolworths BHS and Boots with all the Christmas lights up. I am so grateful for where I came from, and such wonderful memories.

Thanks for that Jill. Very kind of you to write.

Now Bedford has been rated highly in the Times! It was part of a property survey:

 

HOW IT RATES The county town of Bedfordshire, with its attractive riverside frontage, is centrally located for London, Oxford and Cambridge. It dates back to Anglo-Saxon times, when it was known as Beda’s Ford, after a chief called Beda who settled on this stretch of the river. A Royal Charter in 1166 granted it a market that is still held today. Bedford’s most famous son is John Bunyan, who wrote Pilgrim’s Progress 1660s. Today, Bedford is a lively market town with a strong cultural diversity.

ARCHITECTURAL GEMS Elstow Moot Hall is a timber-framed Tudor market hall that is now a museum of 17th-century English life, with particular reference to Bunyan. Built in the 1900s, Stevington Windmill, just west of Bedford, is the only complete windmill in the county. A couple of miles south of Bedford are the two Cardington Hangars, built to house the development of British airships before the project was abandoned in the 1930s.

WHAT’S NEW A riverside development is under way at the quay in Castle Lane, set to become the cultural quarter in the heart of the town centre. One and two-bedroom apartments are available. For prices and further information call Compass New Homes on 01234 343450.

QUALITY OF LIFE Fair, mainly owing to the riverside setting and the wealth of parks and open spaces. Bedford Park, with its formal gardens, carriage circuit and lake, provides the perfect environment in which to take the air. The Embankment is one of the country’s finest river settings with its gardens and water meadows.

POPULATION Figures from the Office of National Statistics show 150,100 living in the Bedford area in 2003. Bedford is home to the largest concentration of Italians in the UK. According to the 2001 Census, two in seven of its population are of at least partial Italian descent. It even has its own Italian vice-consulate.

TRAVEL Bedford lies between the M1 and the A1. The mainline station has high-speed rail links to London St Pancras and trains north to Nottingham, Sheffield and Leeds.

SMARTEST STREETS The south side of the Goldington Road, heading towards Cambridge, has some large semis and detached Victorian houses. Streets around the park, such as Pemberley Avenue or Park Avenue, have 1900s houses for £800,000-£900,000. Farther afield, the villages around Bedford that border the River Ouse are popular, such as Pavenham and Harrold.

BEST RESTAURANTS There is a glut of Italian eateries: Vesuvio and Amici are two worth a mention. The St Helena serves modern European food and can be found on the outskirts of Bedford in a small manor house. The Plough at Bolnhurst is worth a visit, above all for the wine list.

NIGHTLIFE The Corn Exchange is host to a variety of cultural events, from the Philharmonic Orchestra to a monthly comedy club. The town has a large selection of bars and clubs catering for all tastes without the cramped and overcrowded feel that you get in London.

EDUCATION Bedford is home to five top public schools, the most famous being Bedford School for boys, whose alumni include John Fowles and Paddy Ashdown. The University of Bedfordshire has a campus here.

WORKING LIFE There is an even distribution of people working in professional, administrative and sales jobs, with each amounting to 13 per cent of the working population. However, managerial and senior officials just take top spot with 16 per cent.

UPSIDE There is plenty of regeneration taking place, including the cultural quarter near the river and development around the train and bus stations.

DOWNSIDE Probably the lack of culture. There is also a crime issue: Bedfordshire Police were identified by a government report this week as the worst-performing police force in England and Wales.

Lack of culture? If the writer of that article cares to contact me, I will put him right!

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Work officially began on the Bedford Western Bypass this month – more than 70 years after plans were first put on the drawing board!

County council cabinet member for highways, Coun Tom Wootton, celebrated the start of construction of the £28 million link between the A428 and the A421 by drilling footings with a giant auger.

It is hoped contractors will finish the three-mile, single-carriageway road – which will take up land worth £23.5 million – by spring 2010.

Coun Wootton said he had seen drawings showing a western relief road dating back to the 1940s and 1950s. There is also thought to be a plan from 1936.

He said: "I am pleased it's finally happening. People must sit in traffic in the middle of Bedford and wonder why it hasn't got a bypass, but now there is one coming. It's only part of the jigsaw, but it is a start."

The bypass will join the A421 near the Asda warehouse at Kempston with the A428 at Great Denham, crossing the River Great Ouse on a 330m viaduct to lift it clear of the floodplain.

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A top award for two Bedford Parks was celebrated yesterday when Bedford Park Café became the location for the Parks new green flag. 

The Green Flag Award is the national standard for parks and green spaces in England and Wales. The award scheme began in 1996 as a means of recognising and rewarding the best green spaces in the country. It was also seen as a way of encouraging others to achieve the same high environmental standards, creating a benchmark of excellence in recreational green areas. Each site is judged on its own merits and suitability to the community it serves. Flying a green flag identifies the area as a high quality green space. 

Priory Country Park has held a green flag since 2001, this year it was joined by Bedford Park, which is recognised for its high quality traditional Victorian features. Bedford Park serves the needs of Bedford today with its range of features from traditional herbaceous bedding to its modern playground and sports areas. 

These awards come on the back of a summer of success for Bedford in Bloom. Along with these Green Flag awards this year’s entry has won a Silver Gilt Award. Hill Rise Nature Reserve, Bedford Park, The Embankment Gardens and Castle Mound, received special category awards, given only to the top five entries in the whole of the Anglia region. 

The committee have already planned their next meeting to consider how Bedford can aim for gold in 2008. 

Bedford Borough Council’s Neighbourhood Services Manager, Nick Hall, says: 

“Bedford now has two nationally recognised parks and the Green flag is a credit to the hard work and commitment of everyone involved from the Park’s staff and the community. 

This is only our 2nd year of participating in Anglia in Bloom and I would like to congratulate everyone who took part and supported the Bedford in Bloom campaign. I commend all those who have contributed for their enthusiasm and extend my congratulations to all of this year’s very worthy winners. We look forward to extending and developing these community relationships even further for next year’s challenge.”

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Lest anyone would think that I'm on the make by mentioning restaurants, be assured that I am not - indeed the owners of restaurants probably have never heard of this web-site!

If you are keen on steak, then the Fox and Hounds at Riseley is the place to go. Owned by a delightful extrovert with a sense of humour, one can choose the steak and see it being cooked. Lovely!

There is in fact a roll of honour for those who have ordered the largest steak, and I believe that at the last count the record was 43 ounces (about 1.2Kilos) , which makes me feel rather ill at the very thought of it!

Highly recommended, and we have often taken friends to it.

If your preference is Chinese food, at 9 The Broadway there is the Shanghai Beach Restaurant, where the food is impeccably cooked, in a delightful atmosphere. We have quite often had lunch there on Sunday at mid-day, and though one is understandably asked not to order food that one cannot eat, the choice is excellent and plentiful. And the cost on Sunday? Only £7.50 - a very modest cost for a superb meal. They also deliver within a radius of three miles.

Finally, the White Horse, Newnham Avenue, has a large selection of food, and again, the hospitality is simply superb. The owner, Nick, is exceedingly pleasant, and you get the kind of personal attention that makes you feel an honoured guest! Not for nothing was he awarded the customer Care "Pub of the year" awarded.

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I'm often asked for photographs of Bedford. Sometimes I buy old postcards on Ebay. This one was posted to a Mr. G. Handley of Rochdale, 21st May 1919. I find it fascinating to see pictures of places I know, and to wonder how many of those pictured here (if any) are still alive. Many things do not change; the large urn on the right hand side is still there, though it had to be rebuilt some years ago because of vandalism.

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With Jill Peavy's comments in mind, I enclose a shot of the High Street, with the lights that went on a week ago.

Finally, it's an opportunity to wish all readers a blessed Christmas and a happy New Year.